Method and apparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick includes an endless circulating body provided with hooks; stick supporting members for supporting a stick at a position below the hooks; a pair of stick-supporting-member actuating devices for moving the stick supporting members toward or away from the stick; and a stick transferring device for transferring the sausage suspended from the hooks onto the stick while removing the stick from the stick supporting members, and for concurrently supplying an ensuing stick onto the stick supporting members.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a C-I-P application of the application Ser. No. 10/292,693,filed Nov. 13, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,353.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus forsuspending a sausage from a stick.

2. Description of the Related Art

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,163,864 and 5,480,346 disclose apparatuses forsuspending a sausage from a stick in which the stick is supported bystick supporting hooks which move together with the hooks for suspendingthe sausage. However, in a case where a stick which is curved in anarcuate shape along its longitudinal direction is used due to such ascarelessness in handling, with these known apparatuses, although thestick is supported by the stick supporting hooks, the stick is notsupported at a fixed position since the stick is supported over theentire length of the stick. As a result, it is difficult for the stickto be inserted into the loops of a sausage suspended from the hooks. Theapparatus disclosed in JP-A-63-219334 concerns a stick supplyingapparatus for supplying a curved stick onto stick supporting hooks. Withthis apparatus as well, since the stick is supported by the sticksupporting hooks over the entire length of the stick, the stick is notsupported at a fixed position.

In the case of the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,105, thestick is not disposed at a position below the hooks for suspending asausage linked in the form of a chain at a twisted portion, but thestick is disposed in front of the row of hooks, and the loops deliveredfrom the hooks onto the stick move toward a front end of the stick bysliding on the stick. With this known technique, the supply of anensuing sausage to the apparatus is possible even if the stick is notremoved, but the possibility of the occurrence of untwisting of thetwisted portions due to the sliding motion of the sausage is potentiallypresent.

The known apparatuses in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,163,864 and 5,480,346 havehooks for supporting the stick at a position below the hooks forsuspending a sausage, and the movement of the sausage toward the frontend of the stick is effected in a state in which the sausage issuspended from the hooks. With these apparatuses, the rear end of thestick is not disposed so as to be located in front of a leading loopsuspended from the hook, and the stick is supported at a position whereits rear end and the leading loop substantially coincide with eachother. For this reason, the supply of the ensuing sausage is impossibleunless the stick is removed, and the supply of the ensuing sausage mustbe set on standby until completion of the processing of both ends of thesausage, which is effected before removal of the stick, so that there isa problem in terms of productivity.

The apparatus disclosed in JP-A-63-219334 concerns the apparatus forsupplying a curved stick onto stick supporting members, while anapparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,346 (FIGS. 66 and 67) iscomprised of a loop forming device in which hooks for suspending asausage and hooks for supporting a stick are provided at upper and lowerpositions as well as a stick supplying device in which a sticktransferring member for supplying the stick onto the stick supportinghooks reciprocates in the lateral direction of the stick between theupper and lower hooks. These known apparatuses do not disclose anapparatus for automatically removing the stick from the stick supportingmembers. JP-A-63-56245 discloses an apparatus having a device forsupplying a stick onto a screw feeder and a stick removing device formoving the stick with sausage suspended therefrom in an upward directionfrom the screw feeder. This known apparatus requires separate devicesfor supplying the stick and removing the stick.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention has been devised in view of the above-described aspects,and its object is to provide an apparatus for suspending a sausage froma stick which allows a curved stick supported at a position below thehooks for suspending the sausage to be insertable without an error intosausage loops suspended from the hooks.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forsuspending a sausage from a stick which allows the stick to beinsertable into sausage loops while the end processing of the sausage isbeing effected.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method and anapparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick which make it possibleto automatically remove a stick disposed at a position below the hooksfor suspending the sausage and transfer the sausage onto the stick.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method and anapparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick which make it possibleto reliably supply and remove a curved stick.

A still further object of invention is to provide a method and anapparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick which make it possibleto effect both the operation of removing a stick and the operation ofsupplying a stick and to effect either of the operations, as required.

It is another object of the invention to provide an efficient method andapparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick which make it possibleto discharge and/or supply sticks while operating the hooks forsuspending the sausage.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided anapparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprising: an endlesscirculating body which circulatingly moves; hooks provided on theendless circulating body and adapted to suspend the sausage therefrom;and stick supporting means for supporting the stick in such a manner asto dispose the stick at a position below the hooks, wherein the sticksupporting means includes stick supporting members provided at aposition below the hooks and adapted to support the stick andstick-supporting-member actuating means for causing the stick supportingmembers to approach and move away from the stick.

With the apparatus in accordance with the above-described first aspectof the invention, since the stick supporting members move toward a frontend of the stick while maintaining a state of being spaced apart fromthe stick, even if the stick has a shape in which it is curved in anarcuate shape along its longitudinal direction, contact between themoving stick supporting members and portions of the stick curved in thearcuate shape can be prevented. Consequently, the insertion of the stickinto the sausage loops suspended from the hooks can be ensured.

In the above-described apparatus, each of the stick supporting membersmay be rotatably provided on the hook, or by disposing a second endlesscirculating body, which circulatingly moves in synchronism with theendless circulating body, at a position below the endless circulatingbody, the stick supporting members may be rotatably attached to thissecond endless circulating body at predetermined pitches. In eitherarrangement, the support of the stick and the cancellation of thesupport of the stick by the stick supporting members can be effected insynchronism with the movement of the hooks. Alternately, a plurality ofstick supporting members may be rotatably attached to a second endlesscirculating body which has a different moving path from that of thefirst endless circulating body. The stick supporting members may beprovided on all the hooks, or may be provided not on all the hooks buton every other hook, for example. If the stick supporting members areprovided on all the hooks, it is possible to easily cope with a changein the stopping position of the hooks and a change in the length of thestick to be used. The stick-supporting-member actuating means may beprovided with a cam member, but may be constituted by a driving devicesuch as an air cylinder instead of the cam member.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is providedan apparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprising: anendless circulating body which is wound around and trained between afirst rotational center of hooks rotating in such a manner as tointersect the sausage and a second rotational center provided at adistance from the first rotational center, and which circulatinglymoves; the hooks provided on the endless circulating body and adapted toform the sausage into loops including a leading loop and a trailing loopand to suspend the sausage therefrom; and stick supporting means forsupporting the stick having a rear end in such a manner as to disposethe stick at a position below the hooks, wherein an interval between thefirst rotational center and the second rotational center is set to alength equal to or longer than a sum of an overall length of the stickand a length of a region of the endless circulating body on which thehooks whereby the sausage has been formed into the loops and from whichthe sausage is suspended are provided, and the stick supporting meanshas a portion for supporting the stick so as to dispose the rear end ofthe stick at a position facing the leading loop.

With the apparatus in accordance with the above-described second aspectof the invention, since the supply of an ensuing sausage can be startedwhile the processing of the ends of the sausage suspended from the hooksis being effected, idle time does not occur. After completion ofnecessary processing operations (such as the processing of untwistedportions and casing breakage, and the end processing) which are effectedwith respect to the loops formed by one sausage, theprocessing-completed loops can be moved to the region of the stick in astate in which they are suspended from the hooks, so that the stick canbe automatically inserted into the loops without an error.

In the apparatus in accordance with the above-described second aspect,the interval between the two rotational centers is preferably set to alength between 1.5-fold and 3-fold the overall length of the stick. Thestick supporting means preferably has stick supporting members eachprovided rotatably on the hook and adapted to support the stick.

In addition, in accordance with a third aspect of the invention, thereis provided a method for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprisingthe steps of: advancing stick reciprocally transferring means providedwith removed-stick holding means toward a stick supporting memberdisposed in front of the removed-stick holding means; transferring fromthe stick supporting member onto the removed-stick holding means thestick supported by the stick supporting member and disposed in loops ofthe sausage suspended from hooks; advancing the removed-stick holdingmeans beyond the stick supporting member so as to transfer the sausagesuspended from the hooks onto the stick held by the removed-stickholding means; discharging the stick with the sausage suspendedtherefrom from the removed-stick holding means; and retracting theremoved-stick holding means beyond the stick supporting member. Thestick held by the removed-stick holding means is movably held at apredetermined position in that means. In this method, by merely movingthe stick in the lateral direction of the stick with respect to theinner side of the sausage loop, it is possible to pull out from thehooks the twisted portions of the sausage caught by the hooks.

The above-described method may further comprise the steps of: causingthe removed-stick holding means which linearly moves to abut against thestick supported by the stick supporting member, so as to transfer thestick onto the removed-stick holding means; and causing the stick heldby the removed-stick holding means to linearly move laterally of thestick to abut against the sausage suspended from the hooks, therebytransferring the sausage onto the stick. According to this method, sincethe stick is linearly moved laterally of the stick with respect to theinner side of the sausage loop, other twisted portions locateddownwardly of the twisted portions caught by the hooks can be easilyretained by the stick.

Furthermore, in accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, thereis provided a method for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprisingthe steps of: supplying a stick to supply-stick holding means providedon stick reciprocally transferring means; advancing the stickreciprocally transferring means to advance the supply-stick holdingmeans beyond a stick supporting member disposed in front of thesupply-stick holding means; retracting the stick reciprocallytransferring means to transfer the stick held by the supply-stickholding means onto the stick supporting member; and retracting thesupply-stick holding means beyond the stick supporting member. The stickheld by the removed-stick holding means is movably held at apredetermined position in that means. According to this method, sincethe stick is transferred beyond the stick supporting member, the stickcan be supplied onto the stick supporting member by merely reciprocatingthe stick reciprocally transferring means.

Furthermore, in accordance with a fifth aspect of the invention, thereis provided a method for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprisingthe steps of: supplying a stick to supply-stick holding means providedon stick reciprocally transferring means; advancing the stickreciprocally transferring means provided with removed-stick holdingmeans and supply-stick holding means toward a stick supporting memberdisposed in front of the removed-stick holding means and thesupply-stick holding means; causing the removed-stick holding means toabut against the stick supported by the stick supporting member anddisposed in loops of the sausage suspended from hooks, so as to transferthe stick from the stick supporting member onto the removed-stickholding means; advancing the removed-stick holding means beyond thestick supporting member so as to transfer the sausage suspended from thehooks onto the stick held by the removed-stick holding means;discharging the stick with the sausage suspended therefrom from theremoved-stick holding means; advancing the supply-stick holding meansbeyond the stick supporting member; retracting the supply-stick holdingmeans toward the stick supporting member to transfer the stick from thesupply-stick holding means onto the stick supporting member by causingthe stick held by the supply-stick holding means to abut against thestick supporting member; and retracting the removed-stick holding meansand the supply-stick holding means beyond the stick supporting member.In this method, since the stick is transferred beyond the sticksupporting member, by merely reciprocating the stick reciprocallytransferring means it is possible to remove the stick with the sausagesuspended therefrom and supply a stick onto the stick supporting member.This method may further comprise the step of: causing the stick held bythe supply-stick holding means to abut against the stick supportingmember so as to move the stick supporting member.

If each of the above-described methods of the invention furthercomprises the steps of: supporting a front portion of the stick; raisingthe stick supporting member toward the rear portion of the stick andsupporting the rear portion of the stick by the stick supporting member;and lowering the other stick supporting member located ahead of thatstick supporting member and supporting the rear portion of the stick, itis possible to support only the front portion and the rear portion ofthe stick, and automatic suspension of the sausage from a curved stickbecomes possible. On the contrary, there may be provided sticksupporting means for supporting the stick over the entire length thereofby the stick supporting member. Such a stick supporting means issuitable for sticks having small curvatures and straight sticks.

Furthermore, in accordance with a sixth aspect of the invention, thereis provided an apparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick whichincludes hooks for suspending a sausage therefrom and a stick supportingmember for disposing below the hooks a stick which is to be insertedinto loops of the sausage suspended from the hooks, comprising: stickreciprocally transferring means on which removed-stick holding means isprovided for holding the stick transferred from the stick supportingmember; and stick transferring means for advancing the removed-stickholding means beyond the stick supporting member disposed in front ofthe removed-stick holding means.

Furthermore, in accordance with a seventh aspect of the invention, thereis provided an apparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick whichincludes hooks for suspending a sausage therefrom and a stick supportingmember for disposing below the hooks a stick which is to be insertedinto loops of the sausage suspended from the hooks, comprising: stickreciprocally transferring means on which supply-stick holding means isprovided for holding a stick to be supplied onto the stick supportingmember; and stick transferring means for retracting the supply-stickholding means which advanced beyond the stick supporting member disposedin front of the supply-stick holding means.

In the apparatus in accordance with the above-described seventh aspectof the invention, the supply-stick holding means for holding the stickto be supplied onto the stick supporting member may be provided on thestick reciprocally transferring means at a position spaced apart, asviewed in a moving direction of the stick reciprocally transferringmeans, from removed-stick holding means, and the stick transferringmeans may have stick-reciprocally-transferring-means driving means foradvancing and retracting the stick reciprocally transferring means withrespect to the stick supporting member.

In the apparatus in accordance with the above-described aspects of theinvention, if the stick reciprocally transferring means is disposed insuch a manner as to be inclined diagonally upward toward the sticksupporting member, the arrangement is advantageous in transferring thesausage from the hooks onto the stick, and the holding of the stick bythe supply-stick holding means or the removed-stick holding means isfacilitated. Preferably, the stick reciprocally transferring meansconsists of a pair of arms serving as rod members provided in parallelto each other in such a manner as to extend perpendicularly to thelongitudinal direction of the stick. The apparatus having theremoved-stick holding means may be provided with removed-stick receivingmeans for receiving the stick discharged from the removed-stick holdingmeans, or may be provided with stick moving means for moving the stickon the removed-stick holding means in the longitudinal direction of thestick so as to move the stick in its longitudinal direction as wellwhile advancing the stick in its lateral direction. If the stick iscaused to abut against the sausage while the stick is being moved in itslongitudinal direction, the arrangement is advantageous in the deliveryof the sausage from the hooks onto the stick.

Furthermore, a method for suspending a sausage from a stick inaccordance with still another aspect of the invention comprises thesteps of disposing a stick in loops of a sausage suspended from hooks;disposing a multiplicity of sticks in parallel to the stick in alaterally spaced-apart relation thereto; moving and separating one ofthe multiplicity of sticks in a lateral direction thereof; disposing theseparated stick at a predetermined position with respect to the stickdisposed in loops of the sausage; and transferring the stick disposed inloops of the sausage and the separated stick in a lateral direction ofthe stick while maintaining a predetermined interval therebetween.According to this method, the delivery of the sausage from the hooksonto the stick, the transfer of the stick with the sausage suspendedtherefrom, and the supply of a stick for an ensuing sausage can beaccomplished concurrently, and the space for transferring the stick canbe made small.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided anapparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprising an endlesscirculating body put around a first rotational axis and a secondrotational axis spaced from the first rotational axis; a plurality ofhooks provided on the endless circulating body and having hook portionsfor hooking twisted portions of a sausage to suspend loops, including aleading loop and a trailing loop, of the sausage; a stick supportingmeans including a stick rear portion supporting means and a stick frontportion supporting means for supporting a rear portion and a frontportion of a stick such that the stick is disposed below the hookportions of the hooks which are moving from the rear portion to thefront portion while suspending the loops; the stick rear portionsupporting means being disposed below the hooks for cooperation with thestick front portion supporting means to support the stick insertedthrough the leading and trailing loops of the sausage suspended from thehooks, the stick rear portion supporting means including: a sticksupporting member for supporting the rear portion of the stick as movingalong a longitudinal axis of the stick from the rear portion to thefront portion of the stick; and a stick rear portion supporting memberactuating means disposed between the first and second rotational axesalong a longitudinal axis for causing the stick supporting member tomove away downwardly from the stick so as to release support of the rearportion when the stick supporting member arrives at a predeterminedposition of the longitudinal axis.

The stick rear portion supporting member actuating means is providedbetween the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis so thatit is possible to minimize the apparatus along the longitudinal axis.

According to still another aspect of the invention there is provided amethod for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprising the steps ofsupporting a stick by stick supporting members disposed below hookportions of a plurality of hooks such that the stick is inserted throughloops of a sausage suspended from the hook portions of the hooksprovided on an endless circulating body; advancing a stick reciprocallytransferring means disposed at position away from the stick supportingmembers such that the stick reciprocally transferring means extends in adirection substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of thestick supported by the stick supporting members to supply a stick to apair of supplied stick holding means provided on the stick reciprocallytransferring means advanced beyond the stick supporting members;retreating the stick reciprocally transferring means toward the sticksupporting members such that the stick held by the supplied stickholding means abuts against the stick supporting members so as to betransferred from the supplied stick holding means onto the sticksupporting members; and retreating the supplied stick holding meansbeyond the stick supporting members.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided anapparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprising an endlesscirculating body; a plurality of hooks provided on the endlesscirculating body and having hook portions for hooking twisted portionsof a sausage so that loops of the sausage are suspended from the hooks;stick supporting members for supporting a stick, which is insertedthrough the loops of the sausage suspended from the hooks, below thehook portions; a stick reciprocally transferring means disposed at aposition apart from the stick supporting members such that the stickreciprocally transferring means is substantially perpendicular to alongitudinal axis of the stick supported by the stick supportingmembers; a stick reciprocally transferring means driving means foradvancing the stick reciprocally transferring means beyond the sticksupporting members and then retreating the stick reciprocallytransferring means beyond the stick supporting members; and a suppliedstick holding means provided on the stick reciprocally transferringmeans for receiving a supplied stick at an advanced position beyond thestick supporting members and retreating beyond the stick supportingmembers so that the stick abuts against the supporting members and istransferred to the stick supporting members.

According to the above method and apparatus, the stick reciprocallytransferring members advancing beyond the stick supporting members holdsno stick so that they can advance at higher speeds than before.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided anapparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprising an endlesscirculating body; a plurality of hooks provided on the endlesscirculating body and having hook portions for hooking twisted portionsof a sausage so that loops of the sausage are suspended from the hooks;stick supporting members; a stick transferring means which includes astick reciprocally transferring means disposed at a position apart fromthe stick supporting members such that the stick reciprocallytransferring means is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axisof a stick supported by the stick supporting members, the stickreciprocally transferring means having a removed stick holding meanswhich advances together with the stick reciprocally transferring meansto abut against the stick on the stick supporting members so as toreceive and hold the stick; and a stick reciprocally transferring meansdriving means for advancing the stick reciprocally transferring meansbeyond the stick supporting members disposed below the hook portions andthen retreating it beyond the stick supporting members; and a member forcoming into contact with the loops suspended from the advancing stick ata height less than a height of the stick which has engaged with twistedportions, and extending along an arranging direction of the hooks so asto be opposed to a plurality of hooks at a predetermined distance, thehooks being provided on the endless circulating body.

According to this apparatus, it is possible to remove the loops from thehooks by raising the stick even if the links and/or loops of a sausageare difficult to be retained by the stick for their diameter, length,and/or hardness.

In accordance with the invention described above, it is possible toprovide a method and an apparatus for suspending a sausage from a stickwhich allows a curved stick supported at a position below the hooks forsuspending the sausage to be insertable without an error into sausageloops suspended from the hooks.

In addition, it is possible to provide a method and an apparatus forsuspending a sausage from a stick which allows the stick to beinsertable into sausage loops while the end processing of the sausage isbeing effected.

In addition, it is possible to provide a method and an apparatus forsuspending a sausage from a stick which make it possible toautomatically remove a stick disposed at a position below the hooks forsuspending the sausage and transfer the sausage onto the stick.

In addition, it is possible to provide a method and an apparatus forsuspending a sausage from a stick which make it possible to reliablysupply and remove a curved stick.

In addition, it is possible to provide a method and an apparatus forsuspending a sausage from a stick which make it possible to effect boththe operation of removing a stick and the operation of supplying a stickand to effect either of the operations, as required.

Also, it is possible to provide a method and an apparatus for suspendinga sausage from a stick which make it possible to discharge or supply astick as moving the hooks for suspending the sausage at a high rate ofoperation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an apparatus in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view explaining the operation of theapparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view illustrating a state in which a stickis inserted into loops suspended from hooks in the apparatus shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged left side view illustrating mainly a sticksupporting means and a hook at a position II in the apparatus shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged left side view illustrating mainly the sticksupporting means and the hook at a position I in the apparatus shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged front elevational view of the hook shown in FIG.6;

FIG. 8 is a right side view of another example of the stick supportingmeans of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a partial enlarged plan view of the example shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the stick supporting means inaccordance with still another example of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of an apparatus in accordance withanother embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a right side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged right side view of the apparatus shownin FIG. 11;

FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged right side view mainly explaining theoperation of a stick transferring means and illustrating therelationship between the stick transferring means and the sticksupporting means;

FIG. 16 is a partially enlarged right side view of the apparatus andmainly explains the operation of the apparatus in accordance with theother embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a partially enlarged plan view as taken from the direction ofarrow Z shown in FIG. 13; and

FIG. 18 is a partially enlarged right side view of an apparatus inaccordance with still another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of an apparatus in accordance withstill another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 20 is a partially enlarged left side view of the apparatus shown inFIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a front elevational view of an apparatus in accordance withstill another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 22 is a front elevational view of an apparatus in accordance withstill another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 23 is a partially broken plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a front elevational view of an apparatus according to stillanother embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 25 is a partially broken plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a front elevational view of an apparatus according to stillanother embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 27 is a partially broken plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a partially enlarged right side view of the apparatus of FIG.26;

FIG. 29 is a right side view of a stick supporting means according tostill another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 30 is a right side view of a stick supporting means according toyet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 31 is a plan sectional view of the stick supporting means of FIG.30;

FIG. 32 is a front elevational view of an apparatus according to stillanother embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 33 is a partially right side view of the apparatus of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a partially enlarged plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 32;

FIG. 35 is a partially broken plan view of the apparatus as viewed fromthe Z-Z direction of FIG. 32;

FIG. 36 is a partially enlarged right side view of the apparatus of FIG.33;

FIG. 37 is a partially enlarged right side view of the apparatus of FIG.32;

FIG. 38 is a partially enlarged right side view of the apparatus of FIG.32;

FIG. 39 is a partially enlarged right side view of an apparatusaccording to still another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 40 is a partially broken plan view of an apparatus according tostill another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 41 is a front elevational view of an apparatus according to yetanother embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 42 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 41.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, a detailed description willbe given of the embodiments of the invention. It should be noted thatthe invention is not limited to these embodiments.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes an apparatus for suspendinga sausage from a stick. The apparatus 1 is installed on a floor FL andis comprised of an apparatus frame 2; an endless circulating body 3consisting of a chain or a belt disposed substantially horizontally onthe apparatus frame 2; a multiplicity of hooks 4 provided on the endlesscirculating body 3 at predetermined pitches P and having hook portionsfor hooking the sausage; and a stick supporting means 5 for disposingthe stick at a position below the hook portions of the hooks 4. Theendless circulating body 3 disposed on a substantially horizontal planeHP is wound around and trained between a rotating member 3A1 having afirst rotational center 3A serving as a first rotational axis and arotating member 3B1 having a second rotational center 3B serving as asecond rotational axis and provided at a distance from the firstrotational center 3A, and circulatingly moves in the direction indicatedby arrow A and arrow B.

Reference numeral 6 denotes sausage consisting of a multiplicity oflinks 6B formed in a chain and having twisted portions 6A. The sausage 6is moved in the direction of arrow C by an unillustrated sausagesupplying apparatus, e.g., a linking device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.3,115,668, is formed into loops 6C including a leading loop 6C1 and atrailing loop 6C2, and is suspended from the hooks 4. Reference numeral7 denotes a stick from which the sausage 6 is suspended for heattreatment, and which consists of a rod member having an overall length Dand having various portions including a front portion 7A, a rear portion7B, an intermediate portion 7C, a front end 7D, and a rear end 7E. Thestick 7 is detachably supported in a region M (which will be describedlater) such that the rear end 7E of the stick is disposed at a positionfacing the leading loop 6C1 by the stick supporting means 5.

An interval or distance E between the first rotational center 3A and thesecond rotational center 3B of the endless circulating body 3 is set toa length equal to or longer than the sum of the overall length D of thestick 7 and the length FF of the region of the endless circulating body3 necessary for suspending the loops 6C formed by one sausage 6. Adistance F from the first rotational center 3A to the rear end 7E of thestick is set in excess of the aforementioned length FF, such that therear end 7E of the stick is disposed at an interval with the leadingloop 6C1. The stick supporting means 5 has a stick rear-portionsupporting means 8 provided at a position I for supporting the rearportion 7B of the stick as well as a stick front-portion supportingmeans 9 provided at a position II for supporting the front portion 7A ofthe stick, and supports the stick 7 such that the rear portion 7B of thestick faces the leading loop 6C1. If the interval E is set to a lengthbetween 1.5-fold to 3-fold the overall length D of the stick 7, theapparatus becomes high in productivity and compact.

Referring to FIG. 3, reference numerals 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4, and 10-5denote stick supporting members which are specified for the sake ofexplanation among stick supporting members 10 attached to themultiplicity of hooks 4 provided on the endless circulating body 3 atthe predetermined pitches P. The stick rear-portion supporting means 8has the stick supporting member 10-4 which moves in the moving direction(direction of arrow B) of the hooks 4 and supports the rear portion 7Bof the stick, as well as a rear cam member 14 which is astick-rear-portion supporting-member actuating means 11 for moving thestick supporting member 10-4 away from the stick 7 laterally in thedirection of arrow H. The stick front-portion supporting means 9 has thestick supporting member 10-1 which moves in the moving direction(direction of arrow B) of the hooks; a front cam member 15 which is astick-front-portion supporting-member actuating means 12 for causing thestick supporting member 10-1 to approach the stick 7 from a lateraldirection of the stick 7 in the direction of arrow G, and supports thefront portion 7A of the stick; and an abutment member 13 for abuttingagainst the front end 7D of the stick. In this way, the stickfront-portion supporting means 9 prevents movement of the stick 7 alongthe longitudinal axis X of the stick 7 caused by the movement of thestick supporting member 10. The stick rear-portion supporting memberactuating means 11 and the stick front-portion supporting memberactuating means 12 are disposed between the first and second rotationalcenters 3A and 3B in the longitudinal axis X direction. The sticksupporting members 10-1 and 10-4 are respectively raised to a sticksupporting position III by the front cam member 15 and the rear cammember 14, and support the front portion 7A and the rear portion 7B ofthe stick (FIGS. 5 and 6). Numerals 10-2 and 10-5 denote the sticksupporting members which are respectively in the process of being raisedtoward the front portion 7A and the rear portion 7B, respectively, ofthe stick. Numeral 10-3 denotes the stick supporting member which haspassed the rear portion 7B of the stick and moved away to a lowered endposition IV laterally from the stick 7 (FIG. 6).

Referring to FIG. 4, the front portion 7A of the stick referred toherein is the section between the front end 7D of the stick and theposition supported by the stick supporting member 10-1, while the rearportion 7B of the stick is the section between the rear end 7E of thestick and the position supported by the stick supporting member 10-4. Inthis embodiment, the positions supported by the stick supporting member10-1 and the stick supporting member 10-4 are in a region extending fromthe front end 7D to the leading loop 6C1 and in a region extending fromthe rear end 7E to the trailing loop 6C2, respectively. However, theposition where the stick is supported by the stick supporting member 10may be located between a loop 6Ca and a loop 6Cb, as shown in FIG. 10which will be referred to later. In the case where the stick 7 issupported at this position, it is possible to suspend a greater numberof loops 6C from the stick 7.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7 as well, the stick supporting member 10 has astick placing surface 10A having a hook shape for supporting the stick7, a rear portion 10B which is raised or lowered by the rear cam member14 and the front cam member 15, and a front end portion 10C. The stickplacing surface 10A rotates in the directions of arrows G and H betweenthe stick supporting position III and the lowered end position IV. Thestick supporting member 10 is rotatably attached by means of a rotatingshaft 16 at a lower position on a right side surface 4B11 located on atrailing end side (arrow I direction side) of the hook 4 with respect toa hook portion 4C. Since the right side surface 4B11 moves with a phasedifference L with respect to the hook portion 4C provided on a left sidesurface 4B12 located on the leading end side (arrow B direction side) ofthe hook 4, the intersection between the stick supporting member 10 andlinks 6B1, 6B11, and 6B12 is inhibited so as to form the loop 6C. Sincethe stick supporting member 10 which is not supporting the stick ispositioned at the lowered end position IV, the front end portion 10C islocated further away from links 6B2, 6B21, and 6B22 than when it is atthe stick supporting position III, so that the intersection between thefront end portion 10C and these links is inhibited, thereby making itpossible to insert the stick 7 into the loop 6C without an error.

The rear cam member 14 is mounted on the apparatus frame 2 by means of abracket 14B so as to be disposed at the position I. A sliding-guidingsurface 14A for vertically sliding and guiding a rear portion 10-4B ofthe stick supporting member 10-4 which reaches and passes the rearportion 7B of the stick is formed on the rear cam member 14. The frontcam member 15 is mounted on the apparatus frame 2 by means of a bracket13A so as to be disposed at the position II. A sliding-guiding surface15A for vertically sliding and guiding a rear portion 10-1B of the sticksupporting member 10-1 which reaches and passes the front portion 7A ofthe stick is formed on the front cam member 15. The abutment member 13has a shape complementary to the hook-shaped stick placing surface 10Aof the stick supporting member 10, and is secured to the apparatus frame2 by means of the bracket 13A so as to be positioned above the sticksupporting member 10 and adjacent to the front cam member 15 so that thestick placing surface 10A passes therebelow.

The hook 4 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 has an attaching baseplate 4A securedhorizontally to the endless circulating body 3, an arm 4B extendingdownwardly from the attaching baseplate 4A, the hook portion 4C providedon the arm 4B and adapted to catch the twisted portion 6A of the sausage6, and a link guiding portion 4D extending diagonally downward from thehook portion 4C and adapted to guide the sausage 6 suspended from thehook portion 4C. The arm 4B has an arm baseplate 4B1 consisting of athin plate, as well as an inclined portion 4B2 consisting of a round rodinclined downward from the attaching baseplate 4A. The hook portion 4Chaving a recessed shape is provided on a lower portion 4B3 of theinclined portion 4B2 and has a bottom portion 4C1 and a projectingportion 4C2 projecting upward from the bottom portion 4C1. The linkguiding portion 4D consists of a first guide portion 4D1 formed by athin plate and a second guide portion 4D2 formed by a round rod, whichare disposed in such a manner as to intersect each other at an angle θ.Since the hook 4 suspends the sausage 6 with a wide angle by placing thelink 6B1 on the first guide portion 4D1 and the link 6B2 on the secondguide portion 4D2, the stick 7 can be inserted into the loop 6C withoutan error.

The left side surface 4B12 of the arm 4B substantially sets the positionof the link 6B1 in cooperation with the first guide portion 4D1. Thesecond guide portion 4D2 consists of a straight introducing portion 4D21which is a projection located in such a manner as to project upward fromthe bottom portion 4C1, as well as a guide portion 4D22 locateddownwardly of the bottom portion 4C1. The introducing portion 4D21 isformed on the trailing end side (arrow I direction side) of the hook 4with respect to the bottom portion 4C1 (FIG. 7), and is located in sucha manner as to project from the bottom portion 4C1 with a projectionamount K in a direction (direction of arrow J) perpendicular to theinclined portion 4B2 (FIG. 6), so as to guide the link 6B2 caught at thehook portion 4C toward the guide portion 4D22. The guide portion 4D22 isformed by being bent in a substantially semicircular shape, and isprovided in such a manner as to extend in a direction away from thefirst rotational center 3A with respect to the bottom portion 4C1 and ina downward direction, so as to substantially set the position of thelink 6B2. Thus the hook 4 is arranged such that the inclined portion 4B2and the second guide portion 4D2 are formed by the same member in acontinuous shape, while the first guide portion 4D1 and the second guideportion 4D2 are formed by separate structures in a discontinuous shape.Therefore, the frictional resistance occurring between the link 6B2 andthe second guide member 4D2 is reduced. As a result, the sliding of thelink 6B2 on the second guide member 4D2 is facilitated.

Next, a stick front-portion supporting means 50 in another example isshown in FIGS. 8 and 9. This stick front-portion supporting means 50 hasa stick front-portion supporting member 55 that includes a stick placingportion 51 on which is formed a stick placing surface 51A having arecessed shape for placing the front portion 7A of the stick thereon toeffect positioning, an abutment portion 52 for preventing the movementof the stick 7 in the moving direction of the hooks (direction of arrowB) by abutting against the front end 7D of the stick, and a bracket 53.The stick front-portion supporting means 50 is fixedly provided on theapparatus frame 2 so that the hook-shaped stick placing surface 10A ofthe stick supporting member 10 passes below the stick placing portion51. The stick front-portion supporting member 55 is disposed at aposition II by a predetermined distance from the stick rear-portionsupporting member actuating means 11 in the longitudinal axis Xdirection so as to be opposed to the stick supporting member 10-4 thatsupports the rear portion 7B of the stick 7. Alternatively, the stickfront-portion supporting member 55 may be made so as to move the stick7, which has completed supporting, toward the front loop 6C1 hangingfrom the hook 4 in the longitudinal axis X direction. The rear portion7B of the stick is supported by the stick supporting member 10, thefront portion 7A of the stick is supported by this stick front-portionsupporting means 50, and the intermediate portion 7C of the stick is notsupported, so that the curved stick 7 can be set to a predeterminedposition in this example as well. Alternately, the stick supported bythe stick front portion supporting means 50 may be moved toward theleading loop along the longitudinal axis X of the stick.

The apparatus 1 of this embodiment operates as follows. As shown in FIG.1, the sausage 6 is already suspended from the hooks 4 after beingformed into the loops 6C. First, the stick 7 is mounted on the sticksupporting members 10-1 and 10-4, the movement of the endlesscirculating body 3 is then started, and an ensuing sausage 6 isconcurrently supplied toward the apparatus 1 in the direction of arrow Cby the sausage supplying apparatus. The multiplicity of hooks 4 move androtate about the first rotational center 3A in the direction of arrow A,consecutively intersect the sausage 6 and suspend the sausage 6 in loopform from the hook portions 4C, and move in the direction of arrow B. Asshown in FIG. 3, the loops 6C also move in the direction of arrow B andallow the stick 7 to be inserted therein. When the supply of the sausage6 is finished and the formation of one sausage 6 into ensuing loops 6CCis completed, the movement of the loops 6C to the region M has also beenfinished, and the insertion of the stick 7 into the loops 6C has alsobeen completed, and the movement of the endless circulating body 3stops. When the movement of the loops 6C is completed, the sticksupporting means 5 supports the stick 7 that pierces the front and rearloops 6C1 of the sausage 6 suspended from the hook 4. Since necessaryprocessing operations including the end processing of the chain of loops6C have been effected during their movement, the stick 7 is lifted upfrom the stick supporting members 10-1 and 10-4, and the loops 6C areremoved from the hooks 4 and are transferred onto the stick 7, therebycompleting the suspension of the sausage 6 from the stick 7, as shown inFIG. 11. Ensuing loops 6CC are already suspended from the hooks 4, andan ensuing stick 7 is mounted on the stick supporting members 10-1 and10-4 for suspending these loops 6CC. Then, the supply of the ensuingsausage 6 is started, and the above-described operation is repeated.

Next, referring mainly to FIGS. 1 and 3, a description will be given ofthe operation of the stick supporting means 5. The stick supportingmember 10-4, which is located forwardly, as viewed in the movingdirection of the hooks, of the leading loop 6C1 and supports the rearportion 7B of the stick, moves in the direction of arrow B as its rearportion 10-4B slides on the sliding-guiding surface 14A of the rear cammember 14. Then, the stick supporting member 10-5 following the sticksupporting member 10-4 passes the rear end 7E of the stick while itsstick placing surface 10-5A is being raised in the direction of arrow Gby the sliding of its rear portion 10-5B on the sliding-guiding surface14A, and the stick supporting member 10-5 abuts against a lower surfaceof the stick 7 at the rear portion 7B of the stick and supports the rearportion 7B. While the stick supporting member 10-5 moves in thedirection of arrow B while supporting the rear portion 7B of the stick,the stick supporting member 10-4 reaches a position where it isdislocated from the sliding-guiding surface 14A, and rotates in thedirection of arrow H by its own weight, and the stick placing surface10-4A moves away laterally from the stick 7. This operation isconsecutively repeated, and when the stick supporting member 10-4 israised toward the rear portion 7B of the stick, and the stick supportingmember 10-4 supports the rear portion 7B of the stick, the sticksupporting member 10-3 moving in front of the stick supporting member10-4 moves away from the stick 7 laterally in the direction of arrow H.In this manner, the multiplicity of hooks 4 from which the loops 6C aresuspended and the multiplicity of stick supporting members 10 attachedto those hooks 4 consecutively support the rear portion 7B of the stickwhile consecutively causing the rear portion 7B of the stick to beinserted into the loops 6C. In this example, since the stick supportingmember 10-4 in its rising process abuts from below against the rearportion 7B of the stick, which is curved from a base line N of the stick7 by a displacement amount Q (FIG. 4), and supports the rear portion 7Bof the stick, the stick supporting member 10-4 is able to support therear portion 7B of the stick without colliding against the rear end 7Eof the stick.

The stick supporting member 10-1 supporting the front portion 7A of thestick moves toward the front end 7D of the stick while supporting thefront portion 7A, while the stick supporting member 10-2 following thestick supporting member 10-1 moves toward the front portion 7A of thestick and supports the front portion 7A while being raised by thesliding-guiding surface 15A of the front cam member 15. When the sticksupporting member 10-2 moves while supporting the rear portion 7B of thestick, the stick supporting member 10-1 reaches a position where it isdislocated from the sliding-guiding surface 15A, and rotates in thedirection of arrow H by its own weight, thereby canceling the support ofthe front portion 7A of the stick.

Thus, in this embodiment, since the stick supporting members 10 whichpassed the rear portion 7B of the stick are moved toward the frontportion 7A of the stick while being maintained at the lowered endposition IV, when supporting the stick 7 curved with the displacementamount Q as shown in FIG. 4, the stick supporting means 5 supports onlythe front portion 7A and the rear portion 7B of the stick and does notsupport the intermediate portion 7C of the stick. It should be notedthat the support of the front portion 7A of the stick is not limited tothe support by a single stick supporting member 10-1, but may besupported at a plurality of positions on the front portion 7A of thestick by two or more stick supporting members 10-1. The support of therear portion 7B of the stick is likewise not limited to the support by asingle stick supporting member 10-4 in the same way as theabove-described support of the front portion 7A of the stick.

Although, in the above-described apparatus 1, the stick supportingmembers 10 are provided on all the hooks 4, the apparatus 1 may beprovided with an arrangement in which hooks 4-1 not provided with thestick supporting members 10 are jointly used as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10,e.g., an arrangement in which the hook 4 provided with the sticksupporting member 10 and the hook 4-1 not provided with the sticksupporting member 10 are arranged alternately on the endless circulatingbody 3, such that the stick supporting members 10 are provided atintervals of 2P. In the apparatus 1 thus constructed, the leading loop6C1 may be suspended from the hook 4-1 not provided with the sticksupporting member 10. Even in such a manner of suspension, the rear end7B of the stick can be inserted into the leading loop 6C1 without anerror. Since the interval of attachment of the stick supporting members10 has a twofold length, an interval AA between the stick supportingmember 10 and a stick reciprocally transferring means 104 can be madelarge in an apparatus 100 which will be described later (FIG. 17).

Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, reference numeral 100 denotes an apparatusfor suspending a sausage from a stick in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention. This apparatus 100 is comprised of theabove-described apparatus 1 and means for automatically effecting thesupply of a stick to the apparatus 1 and the removal of the stick fromthe apparatus 1. Namely, the apparatus 100 has the apparatus frame 2,the endless circulating body 3, the hooks 4, and the stick supportingmeans 5, all of which are constructed substantially in the same way asthose of the apparatus 1. In addition, the apparatus 100 has a sticktransferring means 101 for transferring the stick 7 toward and away fromthe stick supporting means 5, a stick receiving means 102 for receivingthe stick 7 discharged from the stick transferring means 101 and withthe sausage 6 suspended therefrom, and a stick supplying means 103 forsupplying the sticks 7 one by one onto the stick transferring means 101.

Referring to FIG. 14, the stick placing surface 10A of each sticksupporting member 10 of the stick supporting means 5 is provided at aposition located at a distance substantially corresponding to thesuspended length SS of the link 6B2 of the sausage 6 from the bottomportion 4C1 of the hook 4. Consequently, the arrangement provided issuch that the stick 7 on the stick placing surface 10A and a twistedportion 6A2 are disposed below the bottom portion 4C1 at substantiallythe same distance therefrom. However, the heightwise position where thestick 7 is disposed with respect to the twisted portion 6A2 may beeither higher or lower than the twisted portion 6A2. In essence, itsuffices if the stick 7 is disposed at such a position that it iscapable of reliably retaining the twisted portion 6A2 while moving inthe direction of arrow RA in the process of delivery of the sausage 6onto the stick 7, which will be described later.

Referring to FIGS. 15 to 17, the stick transferring means 101 includes astick reciprocally transferring means 104 consisting of a pair ofelongated plate-like arms (hereafter, the stick reciprocallytransferring means 104 will be referred to as the arm 104), on each ofwhich are provided a removed-stick holding means 108 for holding aremoved stick 7-1, i.e., the stick 7 which has been transferred andreceived from the stick supporting members 10-1 and 10-4, and asupply-stick holding means 109 for holding a supply stick 7-2, which isthe stick 7 to be supplied onto the stick supporting members 10-1 and10-4; a stick-reciprocally-transferring-means driving means 107 forreciprocating each arm 104 between a lowered end position V and a raisedend position VI of the arm 104 by advancing or retracting (in thedirection of arrow RA or in the direction of arrow RB) each arm 104 withrespect to each stick supporting member 10-1 or 10-4; and a stick movingmeans 110 for moving the removed stick 7-1 held by the removed-stickholding means 108 in the moving direction of the hooks 4 (in thedirection of arrow B) along the longitudinal axis X of the stick 7-1.

The stick reciprocally transferring means 104 specifically consist of afront arm 105 and a rear arm 106 which are provided in parallel to eachother in such a manner as to extend perpendicularly to the longitudinalaxis X of the stick 7 (FIG. 17). The front arm 105 and the rear arm 106are positioned with respect to the stick 7 on the stick supportingmembers 10-1 and 10-4 so as to hold the front portion 7A and the rearportion 7B, respectively, of the stick 7. The front arm 105 and the reararm 106 are respectively mounted on a pair of actuating bases 112 of thestick reciprocally transferring means driving means 107, which will bedescribed later, in such a manner as to be inclined toward the sticksupporting members 10-1 and 10-4 at an angle of inclination □ withrespect to a vertical line V, i.e., at 45 degrees in this embodiment(FIG. 13).

The removed-stick holding means 108 is constituted by a recessed portion108A formed in a front portion 104A of the arm 104. The recessed portion108A has a stick placing surface 108A1 which comes into contact with thestick 7 on the stick supporting members 10-1 and 10-4 and receives thestick 7 (7-1) to place it thereon. The stick placing surface 108A1includes a top portion 108A2 for preventing the backward movement of thestick 7-1 in the direction of arrow RB, and extends in the direction ofarrow RA (FIG. 15). The recessed portions 108A are formed in the frontarm 105 and the rear arm 106 so as to hold the front portion 7A and therear portion 7B, respectively, of the stick 7-1.

The supply-stick holding means 109 is constituted by a recessed portion109A formed on the arm 104 at a position a distance R rearwardly (in thedirection of arrow RB) apart from the removed-stick holding means 108.The recessed portion 109A has a stick placing surface 109A1 which is seton standby at a stick supplying position VII for receiving the stick 7-2from the stick supplying means 103 to place it thereon. The stickplacing surface 109A1 includes a top portion 109A2 for preventing thebackward movement of the stick 7-2 in the direction of arrow RB, andextends towards the top portion 108A2 of the recessed portion 108A (FIG.15). The recessed portions 109A are formed in the front arm 105 and therear arm 106 so as to hold the front portion 7A and the rear portion 7B,respectively, of the stick 7-2.

The stick-reciprocally-transferring-means driving means 107 includes apair of known rodless cylinders 111 which are provided in parallel toeach other in such a manner as to extend perpendicularly to thelongitudinal axis X of the stick 7 supported on the stick supportingmembers 10-1 and 10-4 (FIG. 17). The rodless cylinder 111 has theactuating base 112 which linearly reciprocates in the directions ofarrows RA and RB. The rodless cylinder 111 is mounted on the apparatusframe 2 at a position below the stick supporting members 10 in such amanner as to be inclined toward the stick supporting members 10-1 and10-4 at the angle of inclination α (FIG. 13). As the pair of actuatingbases 112 advance in the direction of arrow RA, thestick-reciprocally-transferring-means driving means 107 causes the frontarm 105 and the rear arm 106 respectively secured to the actuating bases112 to abut against the front portion 7A and the rear portion 7B,respectively, of the stick 7 on the stick supporting members 10-1 and10-4 from diagonally below.

The stick moving means 110 has a cam member 113 on which is formed asliding-guiding surface 113A for sliding and guiding the rear end 7E ofthe removed stick 7-1 which is moved diagonally upward in the directionof arrow RA. The cam member 113 is fixed to one of a pair of brackets114 provided uprightly on the apparatus frame 2, such that thesliding-guiding surface 113A extends in the direction of arrow RA from aposition below the stick receiving means 102 toward the stick receivingmeans 102, and such that the sliding-guiding surface 113A is inclinedwith respect to the hook advancing direction (direction of arrow B)(FIGS. 13 and 17). At the time of delivering the sausage 6 from thehooks 4 onto the stick 7-1, the stick moving means 110 moves the stick7-1 held by the removed-stick holding means 108 in the moving directionof the hooks. Consequently, the twisted portion 6A1 lifted up by thestick 7-1 easily moves along the projecting portion 4C2 of the hook 4 inthe direction of arrow Y (FIG. 7), and is disengaged from the projectingportion 4C2.

The stick receiving means 102 is disposed in the vicinity of the raisedend position VI which is the forward end position of the arm 104, andhas a pair of stick receiving stands 115 for receiving the removed stick7-1 discharged from the removed-stick holding means 108 which reachedthe raised end position VI by moving beyond the stick supporting members10 (FIG. 16). The stick receiving stands 115 are formed by angularmembers respectively having stick placing surfaces 115A and 115B forplacing the front portion 7A and the rear portion 7B of the removedstick 7-1, and are fixed to the brackets 114 in such a manner as tooppose each other as a pair (FIG. 17).

The stick supplying means 103 shown in FIGS. 12, 13, and 16 has a sticksaccommodating section 116 for accommodating the plurality of sticks 7arranged in parallel with respect to the stick 7 supported by the sticksupporting members 10-1 and 10-4, as well as an accommodated-stickmoving means 117 for moving the sticks 7 one by one laterally of thestick 7 in the direction of arrow RC. The accommodated-stick movingmeans 117 moves one stick 7 located at a moving end portion 116A of thesticks accommodating section 116 to the supply-stick holding means 109of each arm 104. The accommodated-stick moving means 117 in thisembodiment is formed by an inclined surface 118. However, theaccommodated-stick moving means 117 may be constructed such that thesticks 7 are moved one by one in the direction of arrow RC by a knownbelt or chain.

The apparatus 100 operates as follows. Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, thestick 7 has already been supplied onto the stick supporting means 5, andthe front portion 7A and the rear portion 7B of the stick 7 aresupported by the stick supporting members 10-1 and 10-4. The endlesscirculating body 3 starts the horizontally circulating movement in thedirection of arrow A and in the direction of arrow B, forms the sausage6 into the loops 6C, suspends them from the hooks 4, moves the loops 6Cinto the region of the stick 7, and thereby allows the stick 7 to beinserted into the loops 6C, and the movement of the endless circulatingbody 3 is then stopped. This operation is the same as with the apparatus1.

Referring to FIGS. 13 to 16, a single stick 7 is moved from the sticksaccommodating section 116 in the direction of arrow RC to move it to therecessed portions 109A. When the supply stick 7-2 is delivered to therecessed portions 109A, the rodless cylinders 111 are actuated. The arms104 at the lowered end position V advance toward the stick supportingmembers 10-1 and 10-4 in the direction of arrow RA.

The recessed portions 108A abut against the stick 7 supported on thestick supporting members 10-1 and 10-4, transferring the stick 7 fromthe stick supporting members 10-1 and 10-4 onto the recessed portions108A. Each arm 104, while holding the removed stick 7-1, movesdiagonally upward in the direction of arrow RA, and causes the removedstick 7-1 to abut against an inner side 6D of the sausage 6. The removedstick 7-1 moves diagonally upward while pushing up the link 6B2, andretains the twisted portion 6A2. Since the removed stick 7-1 afterretaining the twisted portion 6A2 continues to be raised, the twistedportion 6A1 is dislocated from the projecting portion 4C2, therebydelivering the sausage 6 onto the stick 7-1. Since the multiplicity ofother stick supporting members 10 excluding the stick supporting members10-1 and 10-4 are at the lowered end position IV, the timing when theloops 6C move away from these stick supporting members 10 takes placeearly, with the result that the delivery of the loops 6C onto the stick7 is made further reliable.

When each arm 104 rises to the position where the loop 6C is deliveredonto the stick 7-1, the recessed portion 109A reaches the vicinity ofthe position at which the supply stick 7-2 is caused to abut against thestick supporting members 10. As each arm 104 continues to movediagonally upward, the supply stick 7-2 moves beyond the sticksupporting members 10 while causing the stick supporting members 10located at the stick supporting position III and the lowered endposition IV to rotate upward in the direction of arrow G. Then, thestick supporting members 10 rotate downward (in the direction of arrowH) to return to the stick supporting position III and the lowered endposition IV.

When the arms 104 reach the raised end position VI, the removed stick7-1 with the sausage 6 suspended therefrom is discharged from therecessed portions 108A in the direction of arrow RD at the raised endposition VI, and is delivered onto the stick receiving stands 115. Thedischarge of the removed stick 7-1 from the stick receiving stands 115may be effected by an appropriate method or means, e.g., manually or bya robot.

When the removed stick 7-1 with the sausage 6 suspended therefrom isremoved from the arms 104, the arms 104 start to retract in thedirection of arrow RB, and the recessed portions 109A are lowered towardthe stick supporting members 10-1 and 10-4. The supply stick 7-2 held inthe recessed portions 109A, when thus lowered, abuts against the stickplacing surfaces 10A, and as the arms 104 are subsequently lowered, thesupply stick 7-2 is delivered onto the stick placing surfaces 10A. Thusan ensuing stick 7 for suspending the ensuing sausage 6 is supplied ontothe stick supporting members 10-1 and 10-4. The recessed portions 108Aand the recessed portions 109A are lowered beyond the stick supportingmembers 10, and when the recessed portions 109A reach the sticksupplying position VII, the arms 104 stop lowering.

FIG. 18 denotes an apparatus 200 in accordance with another embodimenthaving a stick transferring means 201 and a stick supplying means 120.The stick transferring means 201 of this apparatus 200 has asubstantially identical construction to that of the stick transferringmeans 101 of the above-described apparatus 100 excluding a stickreciprocally transferring means (a pair of arms) 202 and a removed-stickholding means 203 provided in each arm 202. The stick transferring means201 has the pair of arms 202, the pair of removed-stick holding means203, a pair of supply-stick holding means 204, and a pair of stickdischarging means 205.

The removed-stick holding means 203 and the supply-stick holding means204 are provided on each arm 202 and are spaced apart at a distance R1therebetween. The removed-stick holding means 203 has a stick holdinghook 206 attached rotatably to a front portion 202A of the arm 202. Thestick holding hook 206 has a hook shape, and has a stick placing surface206A for holding the stick 7. The stick holding hooks 206 are disposedas a pair in such a manner as to oppose each other in the longitudinaldirection of the stick 7, and are adapted to hold the front portion 7Aand the rear portion 7B of the removed stick 7-1. The supply-stickholding means 204 is constituted by a recessed portion 207A having astick placing surface 207A1, and its construction and action aresubstantially identical to those of the recessed portion 109A of theapparatus 100. The recessed portion 207A of the arm 202 at the loweredend position V is positioned a distance T rearwardly of the sticksupplying position VII of the stick supplying means 120 which will bedescribed later.

The stick discharging means 205 has a rotationally driving member 208constituted by a cam member for rotating the stick holding hook 206 inthe direction of arrow 0. The rotationally driving member 208 issubjected to abutment by the stick holding hook 206 which rises in thedirection of arrow RA, so as to rotate the stick holding hook 206. Thestick holding hook 206 abuts against the rotationally driving member 208at the raised end position VI and thereby rotates in the direction ofarrow 0, discharging the removed stick 7-1 on the stick placing surface206A toward the stick receiving stand 115 in the direction of arrow U.

The stick supplying means 120 differs from the above-described sticksupplying means 103 in that it has a supply-stick receiving member 121.The supply-stick receiving member 121 is disposed on a downstream side,as viewed in the stick moving direction (in the direction of arrow RC),of and adjacent to the moving end portion 116A of the sticksaccommodating section 116. The stick supplying means 120 has a V-shapedsupply-stick receiving surface 121A for receiving, positioning, andsupporting the single stick 7, i.e., the supply stick 7-2, which hasbeen moved from the stick accommodating section 116 laterally of thestick 7. The recessed portions 207A which move diagonally upward in thedirection of arrow RA receive the supply stick 7-2 by abutting againstthe supply stick 7-2 on the supply-stick receiving members 121, andcontinue rising toward the stick supporting members 10-1 and 10-4 whileholding the supply stick 7-2.

With the apparatus 200 having the stick supplying means 120, since theinterval R1 between the stick placing surface 206A and the recessedportion 207A can be made large, in a case where the loops 6C whosesuspended length S is long are suspended from the removed stick 7-1, thearms 202 make it possible to complete the transfer of the loops 6C ontothe removed stick 7-1 without causing the supply stick 7-2 to abutagainst the loops 6C.

In FIGS. 19 and 20, an apparatus 300 is different from the apparatus 1in that the stick supporting members 10 are provided on the secondendless circulating body that is disposed below the endless circulatingbody 3. The apparatus 300 includes the endless circulating body 3 putaround the first rotational axis 3A and the second rotational axis 3Bspaced from the first rotational axis 3A by the distance E, the sticksupporting means 5, hooks 301 provided on the endless circulating body3, and the second endless circulating body 30.

The stick supporting means 5 includes a stick rear-portion supportingmeans 8 having a rear portion cam member 14-1 serving as a stickrear-portion supporting member actuating means 11-1 and a stick frontportion supporting means 9 having a front portion cam member 15-1serving as a stick front portion supporting member actuating means 12-1.The rear and front portion cam members 14-1 and 15-1 have slidingguiding surfaces 14-1A and 15-1A, respectively, for guiding the rearportion 10B of a stick supporting member 10 such that the sticksupporting member 10 swings between the stick supporting position IIIand the lowered end position IV on a perpendicular line. The sticksupporting members 10 are disposed below the hook portions 301C of hooks301. The second endless circulating body 302 is put around a thirdrotational axis 302A and a fourth rotational axis 302B spaced from thethird rotational axis 302A.

It further includes sprockets 303 and 304 disposed on the third andfourth rotational axes 302A and 302B, respectively, arms 305 attached tothe second endless circulating body 302 with a predetermined pitch P,shafts 306 fixed to the arms 305 to support the stick supporting members10 for rotation, a drive shaft 302AA to which a sprocket 3A1 andsprocket 303 are fixed, a bearing body 308 for the drive shaft 302AA, amotor 309 attached to the apparatus frame 2 for driving the drive shaft302AA, and an idler shaft 302BB to which a sprocket 3B1 and a sprocket304 are fixed. The third and fourth rotational axes 302A and 302B areconcentric with the first and second rotational axes 3A and 3B,respectively.

The stick support members 10 are attached to the second endlesscirculating body 302 via the arms 305 for rotation and, as the sticksupporting members 10 of the apparatus 1, moved by the rear portion cammember 14-1 and the front portion cam member 15-1 and down in thedirections of arrows G and H between the stick supporting positions IIIand the lowered end position IV. The endless circulating body 3 and thesecond endless circulating body 302 are driven by the drive shaft 302AAfor synchronous circulation. There is provided a space SP between thehook 301 and the stick supporting member 10 so that it is easy toprocess the end of the loop 6C.

In FIG. 21, an apparatus 350 is different from the apparatus 300 in thatthe stick supporting means 5 is replaced by a stick supporting means 40.the stick supporting means 40 includes the stick rear portion supportingmeans 8 and a stick front portion supporting means 50 to support therear portion 7B of the stick with the stick supporting members 10 andthe front portion 7A with the stick front portion supporting means 50while not support the intermediate portion 7C. The stick supportingmembers 10 are spaced from the rear portion 7B of the stick so that itis easy to grasp the stick 7 with the hand where the worker lifts thestick 7 from the stick supporting members 10.

In FIGS. 22 and 23, an apparatus 400 is different from the apparatus 350in that a fourth rotational axis is disposed between the first andsecond rotational axes 3A and 3B. The apparatus 400 includes a secondendless circulating body 402 put around the third rotation axis 402Aconcentric with the first rotation axis 3A and the fourth rotation axis402B disposed at a position spaced from the third rotational axis 402Aby a distance E1, and a driving shaft 402AA, and sprockets 403 and 404disposed on the third and fourth rotational axes 402A and 402B,respectively, and an idler shaft 402BB fixed to the apparatus frame 2,to which sprockets 404 is provided. The stick supporting members 10 arelowered by the rear cam members 14 in the H direction with respect tothe stick 7 such that the stick supporting members 10 are removed fromthe loops 6C of the sausage 6 and then rotated about the fourth rotationaxis 402B. In this way, the apparatus 400 includes the second endlesscirculating body 402 having the moving path 402-1 that is different fromthe moving path 3-1 of the endless circulating body 3. Thus, theapparatus 400 enables to reduce the number of the stick supportingmembers 10 more than the apparatus 300.

In FIGS. 24 and 25, an apparatus 450 is different from the apparatus 300in that the third rotational axis is disposed between the first andsecond rotational axes 3A and 3B. The apparatus 450 includes the secondendless circulating body 452 put around the fourth rotational axis 452Bwhich is concentric with the second rotational axis 3B and the thirdrotational axis 452A disposed at a position spaced from the fourthrotational axis 452B by a distance E2, an idler shaft 452AA, a drivingshaft 452BB, and sprockets 453 and 454 disposed on the third and fourthrotational axes 452A and 452B, respectively. The apparatus 450 alsoenables to reduce the number of the stick supporting members 10. Also,it has no stick supporting members 10 circulating between the first andthird rotational axes 3A and 452A so that it is easy to process the endof sausage 6.

In FIGS. 26-29, an apparatus 500 is different from the apparatus 300 inthat the third and fourth rotational axes are disposed between the firstand second rotational axes 3A and 3B. The apparatus 500 includes thesecond endless circulating body 502 put around the third rotational axis502A disposed at a position spaced from the first rotational axis 3A bya distance E3 and the fourth rotational axis 502B spaced from the thirdrotational axis 502A by a distance E4, and sprockets 503 and 504disposed on the third and fourth rotational axes 502A and 502B,respectively. The fourth rotational axis 502B is spaced from the secondrotational axis 3B by a distance E5. Further, it includes a bracket 506attached to the apparatus frame 2, to which the rear portion cam member14-1, an idler shaft 502AA for a sprocket 503, and a motor base 505 arefixed, and a motor 507 for driving the second endless circulating body502, which has a shaft 507A to which a sprocket 504 is fixed.

The apparatus 500 is different from the apparatus 300 in that the sticksupporting means 5 is replaced by a stick supporting means 60. The sticksupporting means 60 includes the stick rear portion supporting means 8and a stick front portion supporting means 61. The rear portion cammember 14-1 of the stick rear portion supporting means 8 raises thelowered stick supporting members 10, which are moving in the directionof arrow B in the region Z along the longitudinal axis X of the stick 7,toward the rear portion 7B and then lowers them that are moving in theregion Z. Thus, the stick supporting members 10 enter between the loops6C while moving along the longitudinal axis X of the stick 7 and comeout of the loops 6C. Consequently, it is prevented that the sticksupporting members 10 hook the loops 6C when they are turned into theregion Z by rotation about the third rotational axis 502A in thedirection of arrow BB or from the region Z by rotation about the fourthrotational axis 502B in the direction of arrow CC.

As shown in FIG. 29, the stick front portion supporting means 61 can beused with a stick transferring means 101. The stick front portionsupporting means 61 includes a stick front portion supporting member 62for supporting the front portion 7A of the stick 7, a shaft 63 forsupporting the stick front portion supporting member 62 for swingingmotion in the directions of arrows G and H, a spring 65 for abutting thestick front portion supporting member 62 against the stopper 64, and abracket 66 fixed to the apparatus frame 2, to which the shaft 63, thestopper 64, and the spring 65 are attached and against which the frontend 7D of the stick 7 abuts. The stick front portion supporting member62 raised by the supply stick 7-2 is quickly returned by the spring 65to the stick supporting position III.

Another stick front portion supporting means 70, which can be used withthe stick transferring means 101, will be described with reference toFIGS. 30 and 31. The stick front portion supporting means 70 includes astick front portion supporting member 71, a stick front portionsupporting member swinging means 72, e.g., rotary actuator 73, and abracket 74 fixed to the apparatus frame 2, to which the means 72 isattached. The stick front portion supporting member 71 has a stickplacing section 75 with a stick placing surface 75A, and a stick stopper76 for abutment against the front end 7D of the stick 7 to stop movementof the stick 7 in the hook moving direction (arrow B direction). Thestick stopper 76 is fixed to the rotational shaft 73 of the rotaryactuator 73. The rotary actuator 73 rotates in the directions of arrowsG and H to raise the stick front portion supporting member 71 to theupper position VIII before passage of the supply stick 7-2 and thenlower it to the stick supporting position III after the passage of theremoved stick 7-2. The means 72 returns the stick front portionsupporting member 71 to the stick supporting position III so quicklythat it is possible to shorten the stick supply cycle in the same way asthe stick front portion supporting means 61.

In FIGS. 32-38, an apparatus 600 is made up by adding a stick supplymeans 601, a stick transferring means 602, a loop retaining forceincreasing means 603, and a stick receiving means 102 to the apparatus500 and replacing the stick supporting means 40 instead of the sticksupporting means 60.

In FIGS. 32-34, the stick supply means 601 includes a stick stocksection 604 for stocking a plurality of sticks 7 above the endlesscirculating body 3, a stick guide section 605 extending downward fromthe stick stock section 604 in the direction of arrow W to support thesticks 7 taken out of the stick stock section 604, and a stickseparation mechanism 606 provided above the stick guide section 605 toseparate each of the sticks 7 disposed on the stick guide section 605.Since the stick supply means 601 is disposed above the endlesscirculating body 3, it is possible to make the apparatus smaller in adirection perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the stick.

In FIG. 35, the stick transferring means 602 includes a stickreciprocally transferring means 607 having a supplied stick holdingmeans 608 and a removed stick holding means 203, a stick reciprocallytransferring means driving means 107 for reciprocating the stickreciprocally transferring means 607 between the lower end position V andthe upper end position VI, and the stick discharging means 205. Thestick reciprocally transferring means 607 is composed of a pair of afront transferring member 607A and a rear transferring member 607Bprovided in parallel to each other in a direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis X of the stick 7 supported by the stick supportingmeans 40. The supplied stick holding means 608 has a pair of recesses608A formed on the front and rear transferring members 607A and 607B.The recesses 608A are spaced rearward from the removed stick holdingmeans 203 by a distance R2 so as to receive the stick from the sticksupply means 601 while the stick transferring means 607 rests at theupper end position VI.

When the discharged stick 7-1 is discharged to the stick receiving stand115 of the stick receiving means 102 at the raised end position VI, thesupplied stick 7-2 sliding down in the direction of arrow W istransferred from the stick guide section 605 to the recesses 608A. Asshown in FIG. 36, the stick reciprocally transferring means 607 retreatsfrom the raised end position VI in the direction of arrow RB, and thesupplied stick 7-2 on the recesses 608A abuts against and received bythe stick placing surfaces 10A and 51A.

In the apparatus 600, the stick 7 is supplied to the supplied stickholding means 608 of the stick reciprocally transferring means 607 whichis raised, i.e., advanced beyond the stick supporting member 10 and thestick front portion supporting member 55, and transferred to the sticksupporting member 10 and the stick front portion supporting member 55from the supplied stick holding means 608 which is lowered, i.e.,retreated beyond the stick supporting member 10 and the stick frontportion supporting member 55. When the stick reciprocally transferringmeans 607 is raised (in the direction of arrow RA), since the stickreciprocally transferring means 607 does not transfer the stick 7, theloops 6C suspended from the stick 7 does not come into contact with thesupplied stick 7-2. Consequently, the distance R2 is set smaller thanthe distance R of the apparatus 10 and the distance R1 of the apparatus200 so that it is possible to make the raising and lowering strokes ofthe stick reciprocally transferring means 607 shorter than those of theapparatus 200 and 300.

As best shown in FIG. 35, the stick reciprocally transferring means 607is disposed such that the rear transferring member 607B is raised andlowered in the moving path XX adjacent to the third rotational axis 502Abetween the first rotational axis 3A and the third rotational axis 502Aalong the longitudinal axis X of the stick 7 and the front transferringmember 607A is raised and lowered in the moving path YY adjacent to thestick front portion supporting member 55 between the second rotationalaxis 3B and the fourth rotational axis 502B in the longitudinal axis Xdirection of the stick 7.

Since the front and rear transferring members 607A and 607B are raisedand lowered outside of the moving region MR of the stick supportingmember 10 of the stick rear portion supporting means 8 as shown in FIGS.35 and 36, it is not necessary to stop the endless circulating body 3and the second endless circulating body 502 when the stick reciprocallytransferring means 607 is operated. As a result, it is possible tosimultaneously form the loop 6C-2 of the sausage 6 and automaticallytransfer, to the stick 7-2, the loop 6C-1 that has been formed (FIG.32).

In FIGS. 32-34 and 37, the loop retaining force increasing means 603assures removal from the hook 301 of the loop 6C with a link 6B having afilling diameter d much larger than the space ZZ of adjacent hooks 301(FIG. 34). The loop retaining force increasing means 603 has a pressureportion 610 and a loop pressing member 609 with a connection section611.

The pressure portion 610 extends in the arranging direction of hooks 301(direction of arrow B) and spaced from the hooks 301 by a distance TT,and engages the loop 6C-1 suspended from the stick 7 that moving upwardbetween the hook 3-1 and the loop pressing member 609. The connectionsection 611 has a vertical portion 611A and a horizontal portion 611Band is formed integrally with the pressure portion 610 to connect thepressure portion 610 to the bracket 612 which is fixed to the apparatusframe 2 via the stick receiving means 102. Since the horizontal portion611B is disposed below the pressure portion 610, the stick reciprocallytransferring means 607 can pass through positions adjacent to oppositeends 610A and 610B of the pressure portion 610. The loop pressing member609 is composed of the pressure portion 610 formed as a rod, but it isunderstood that the loop pressing member may take other shapes. Forexample, it may be a rectangular body made up of plate member having thepressure portion 610 and the vertical portion 611A as two sides.

As shown in FIG. 38, when the link 6B having a large filling diameter dhardly passes through between the hooks 301 in the raising process ofthe removed stick 7-1 by the stick reciprocally transferring means 607,the stick 7-1, which engages with the twisted portion 6A2 to pull theloop 6C, is disengaged with the twisted portion 6A2 and raised upward.To prevent this, as shown in FIG. 37, the pressure portion 610 isdisposed at a height SH lower than the height CH of the discharged stick7-1 at which it moves upward, pushing up the link 6B2 and engages withthe twisted portion 6A2 so that it is possible to keep the angles γ ofthe rear and front links 6B2 and 6B3 with respect to the dischargedstick 7-1 within a predetermined range. Thus, the upward movement of thedischarged stick 7-1 removes the loop 6C from the hook 301 withoutfailure.

As best shown in FIG. 33, the loop pressing member 609 is fixed in astationary state to the apparatus frame 2 spaced from the hook portionsby a constant distance TT. It may be made to escape from the loops 6C atan appropriate time such that the loops 6C transferred to the stick 7readily pass over the loop pressing member 609. For example, the looppressing member 609 may be rotated about the horizontal portion 611B inthe direction of arrow AR or lowered in the direction of arrow AD.According to changes in the size of the link 6B or loop 6C, the positionat which the loop pressing member 609 is attached to the apparatus frame2 may be changed to change the height SH or the distance TT (FIG. 37).If necessary, in association with the upward movement (in the directionof arrow RA) of the removed stick 7-1, the loop pressing member 609 maybe rotated in the direction of arrow AQ at an appropriate time so as toincrease the loop retaining force.

FIG. 39 shows an apparatus 650 including a stick transferring means witha stick holding means able to work as both the discharged and suppliedstick holding means. The apparatus 650 includes a stick transferringmeans 651, a stick discharging means 652, and a stick receiving means653.

The stick transferring means 651 has a stick reciprocally transferringmeans 654 with a stick holding means 655. The stick reciprocallytransferring means 654 has a pair of front and rear transferring members654A and 654B arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis X of the stick 7 on the stick supporting means 60. Thestick holding means 655 is composed of a pair of recesses 655A formed onthe stick reciprocally transferring means 654. After the dischargedstick 7-1 is discharged from the recesses 655, the stick holding means655 receives on the recesses 655A the supplied stick 7-2 slid down fromthe stick supply means 601 in the W direction. Similarly to the suppliedstick holding means 608, the stick holding means 655 is lowered beyondthe stick supporting member 10 and the stick front portion supportingmember 55 to transfer the stick 7-2 to the stick supporting member 10and the stick front portion supporting member 55.

The stick discharging means 652 has a pair of arms formed as plateshaped rod members 656 spaced along the longitudinal axis X fordischarging the discharged stick 7-1 from the stick holding means 655 tothe stick receiving means 653 while the stick reciprocally transferringmeans 654 rests at the raised end position VI. The arms 656 rotate inthe direction of arrow QQ to pick up the front and rear portions 7A and7B of the discharged stick 7-1 so that the discharged stick 7-1 slideson the arms 656 toward the stick receiving means 653.

The stick receiving means 653 has a stick receiving stand 657 forsupporting a plurality of discharged sticks 7-1 for stock. The stickreceiving stand 657 supports the front and rear portions 7A and 7B of astick in the same manner as the stick receiving stand 115.

FIG. 40 shows an apparatus 700 which includes the second endlesscirculating body 702 put around the third rotational axis 702A and thefourth rotational axis 702B spaced from the third rotational axis 702Aby a distance E7. The third and fourth rotational axes 702A and 702B areshifted toward the stick supporting means 40 by a distance E8 withrespect to the first and second rotational axes 3A and 3B. The sticksupporting members 10 of this apparatus are rotatably attached to arms705 shorter than the arms 305 of the above apparatus. The distance E9between the third rotational axis 702A and the rear transferring member607B in the passing path XX is smaller than that of the apparatus 600 sothat the stick supporting member 10 can support the stick 7 in the rearportion 7B at a position closer to the rear end 7E than before.

In the apparatus 600 and 700, the third rotational axes 502A and 702Aand the fourth rotational axes 502B and 702B are disposed closer to thepassing path XX between the passing path XX and the second rotationalaxis 3B but, in this invention, the third and fourth axes may bedisposed closer to the passing path XX between the passing path XX andthe first rotational axis 3A along the longitudinal axis X of the stick7 such that the stick supporting member 10 supports the rear portion 7Bof the stick 7.

In the apparatus 100, the front and rear arms 105 and 106 serving as thefront and rear transferring members hold the front and rear portions 7Aand 7B of a stick 7, respectively, and, in the apparatuses 600 and 700,the front transferring member 607A holds the vicinity of the frontportion 7A of a stick 7 and the rear transferring member 607B holds therear portion 7B of a stick. In this invention, however, the position atwhich the stick reciprocally transferring means supports a stick is notspecified. As long as the stick is discharged from the stick supportingmembers stably, it is possible for the stick reciprocally transferringmeans to support the stick at any two locations of the stick. Ifnecessary, it is possible to support the stick at three or morelocations. According to the invention, the stick reciprocallytransferring means include at least one pair of arms as serving as sticktransferring members.

In the above apparatuses 1 through 700, the endless circulating body 3is disposed on a substantially horizontal plane HP, but an apparatusthat the endless circulating body 3 is disposed on a substantiallyvertical plane VP will be described with reference to FIGS. 41 and 42.The apparatus 800 is different from the apparatuses 1 through 700 inthat the endless circulating body 3 disposed on a substantially verticalplane VP is disposed above the second endless circulating body 502. Theapparatus 800 includes the first and second rotational axes 3A and 3Bhorizontally disposed on the substantially horizontal plane HP, theendless circulating body 3 put around the first and second rotationalaxes 3A and 3B for moving in directions of arrows A and B, hooks 801with hook portions 801C for suspending a sausage, and a stick supportingmeans 60 having the second endless circulating body 502. The endlesscirculating body 3, the first and second rotational axes 3A and 3B, andthe hooks 801 of the apparatus 800 may be the chain 112, the rotatinghorizontal shaft 115 and 116, and the hook 111 of U.S. Pat. No.6,071,186, respectively.

The endless circulating body 3 and the second endless circulating body302, 404, 452, 502, 602, and 702 of the apparatus 1 through 800 may be achain, a belt, or a well-known transfer means, and the element aroundwhich the transfer means is put may be a sprocket, a pulley, or awell-known transfer rotational body.

1. An apparatus for suspending a sausage from a stick, comprising: anendless circulating body put around a first rotational axis and a secondrotational axis spaced from said first rotational axis; a plurality ofhooks provided on said endless circulating body and having hook portionsfor hooking twisted portions of a sausage to suspend loops of thesausage, including a leading loop and a trailing loop; a sticksupporting means including a stick rear portion supporting means and astick front portion supporting means for supporting a rear portion and afront portion of a stick such that said stick is disposed below saidhook portions of said hooks which are moving from said rear portion tosaid front portion in state of suspending the loops; said stick rearportion supporting means being disposed below said hooks for cooperationwith said stick front portion supporting means to support said stickinserted through the leading and trailing loops of the sausage suspendedfrom said hooks, said stick rear portion supporting means including: astick supporting member for supporting said rear portion of said stickwhile said stick supporting member moves in a longitudinal direction ofsaid stick from said rear portion to said front portion of said stick;and a stick rear portion supporting member actuating means disposedbetween said first and second rotational axes in said longitudinaldirection for causing said stick supporting member to move awaydownwardly from said stick so as to release support of said rear portionwhen said stick supporting member arrives at a predetermined positionspaced in a hook moving direction in said longitudinal direction from aposition where another stick supporting member subsequent to said sticksupporting member starts to support said stick rear portion.
 2. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein said stick front portionsupporting means comprises: a stick front portion supporting memberactuating means disposed between said first and second rotational axesin said longitudinal direction for causing said stick supporting member,which has moved by a predetermined distance from said predeterminedposition in said hook moving direction in said longitudinal direction,to approach upwardly said front portion of said stick supported byanother stick supporting member ahead of said stick supporting membersuch that said stick supporting member, which has moved away downwardlyfrom said stick at said predetermined position, supports said frontportion of said stick; and said stick supporting member moved upwardlyby said stick front portion supporting member actuating means and movingin said hook moving direction to support said front portion of saidstick.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said sticksupporting member for supporting said front portion of said stick has astick placing surface for swinging motion between a stick supportingposition for supporting said stick and a lowered end position downwardlyaway from said supported stick, said stick supporting member beingrotatably provided on a second endless circulating body disposed belowsaid endless circulating body and put around a third rotational axis anda fourth rotational axis spaced from said third rotational axis suchthat said stick placing surface of said stick supporting member movesupwardly toward said support stick and downwardly away from saidsupported stick.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidstick front portion supporting means comprises a stick front portionsupporting member spaced from said stick rear portion supporting memberactuating means by a predetermined distance in said longitudinaldirection so as to be opposed to said stick supporting member forsupporting said rear portion in a stationary state in said longitudinaldirection when said stick front portion supporting member supports saidfront portion of said stick.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4,wherein said stick front portion supporting means has a stick frontportion supporting member with a stick placing surface for reciprocationbetween said stick supporting position where said stick is supportedbelow said hook portion and a position spaced upwardly from said sticksupporting position.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidstick supporting member for supporting said rear portion of said stickhas a stick placing surface for swinging motion between a sticksupporting position for supporting said stick and a lowered end positiondownwardly away from said supported stick, said stick supporting memberbeing rotatably provided on a second endless circulating body disposedbelow said endless circulating body and put around a third rotationalaxis and a fourth rotational axis spaced from said third rotational axissuch that said stick placing surface of said stick supporting membermoves upwardly toward said supported stick and downwardly away from saidsupported stick.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein saidthird rotational axis and said fourth rotational axis are shifted towardsaid stick supporting means with respect to said first rotational axisand said second rotational axis.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 6,which further comprises a stick transferring means which includes: astick reciprocally transferring means spaced from said stick supportingmember and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to saidlongitudinal axis of said stick supported by said stick supportingmember; said stick reciprocally transferring means having a removedstick holding means which advances together with said stick reciprocallytransferring means to abut against said stick on said stick supportingmember so as to receive and hold said stick; and a stick reciprocallytransferring means driving means for advancing said stick reciprocallytransferring means beyond said stick supporting member disposed belowsaid hook portions and then retreating said stick reciprocallytransferring means beyond said stick supporting member; and said thirdand fourth rotational axes being disposed between said first and secondrotational axes in said longitudinal direction.
 9. The apparatusaccording to claim 8, wherein said stick transferring means has a reartransferring member which advances and retreats between said firstrotational axis and said third rotational axis in said longitudinaldirection.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said sticktransferring means has a rear transferring member which advances andretreats between said second rotational axis and said fourth rotationalaxis in said longitudinal direction.
 11. The apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein said stick front portion supporting means comprises astick front portion supporting member spaced from said stick rearportion supporting member actuating means by a predetermined distance insaid longitudinal direction so as to be opposed to said stick supportingmember for supporting said rear portion in a stationary state in saidlongitudinal direction when said stick front portion supporting membersupports said front portion of said stick, and said stick supportingmember for supporting said rear portion of said stick has a stickplacing surface for swinging motion between a stick supporting positionfor supporting said stick and a lowered end position downwardly awayfrom said supported stick, said stick supporting member being rotatablyprovided on a second endless circulating body disposed below saidendless circulating body and put around a third rotational axis and afourth rotational axis spaced from said third rotational axis such thatsaid stick placing surface of said stick supporting member movesupwardly toward said supported stick and downwardly away from saidsupported stick.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 1, which furthercomprises a stick transferring means which includes: a stickreciprocally transferring means spaced from said stick supporting memberand extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to saidlongitudinal axis of said stick supported by said stick supportingmember, said stick reciprocally transferring means having a removedstick holding means which advances together with said stick reciprocallytransferring means to abut against said stick on said stick supportingmember so as to receive and hold said stick; and a stick reciprocallytransferring means driving means for advancing said stick reciprocallytransferring means beyond said stick supporting member disposed belowsaid hook portions and then retreating said stick reciprocallytransferring means beyond said stick supporting member; a member forcoming into contact with said loops suspended from said advancing stickat a height less than a height of said stick which has engaged withtwisted portions, and extending in an arranging direction of said hooksso as to be opposed to a plurality of hooks at a predetermined distance,said hooks being provided on said endless circulating body.